After seeing the progress bar for the image destruction fill up, Tony Stark leaned his hands on the table, a sense of relief washing over him.
Unbeknownst to him, his back was already drenched in cold sweat, but Tony Stark knew why this was happening.
When people witness something mysterious yet infinitely promising, or a powerful ability, they feel curiosity and excitement.
Thus, Harvey Anberaka cured him, and his improved physical condition naturally excited him.
Considering potential future enemies, he believed this was an incredibly invincible superpower.
Because as long as Harvey Anberaka was present, they wouldn't need to fear injuries too much; as long as they didn't die, they would be fine.
However, when people truly encounter a mystery that they cannot comprehend or understand, but are aware of the danger it poses...
Their first reaction is no longer excitement and curiosity, but an uncontrollable surge of fear stemming from biological instinct.
After Tony Stark personally witnessed Harvey Anberaka curing him, what arose was fear.
If the news of Harvey Anberaka possessing this healing ability were to be exposed...
Who knows how many people would want to find Harvey Anberaka to cure diseases that current technology cannot, and to extend their own lifespans.
However, in the recent footage, Harvey Anberaka not only displayed healing abilities...
He also exhibited purple energy that, though its specific function was unknown, was wielded as easily as an arm, and Harvey's fingers were as sharp as blades.
Clearly, Harvey Anberaka also possessed abilities for self-preservation; otherwise, he would never have risked exposure to heal him and let him know these things.
"Have the images been destroyed?"
At this moment, Harvey's voice sounded from behind Tony Stark.
"I saw that footage; there's no way I wouldn't destroy it."
Hearing these words, Tony Stark turned around, looked at Harvey, who was walking into the Underground Research Lab, and said with a bitter smile.
"I know you might be afraid of me, but rest assured, if I were your enemy, I wouldn't have helped you."
Harvey said calmly upon hearing this.
"Then why are you approaching me?"
Tony Stark asked upon hearing these words.
"Tony Stark, before you say something like that, do you even think?"
"Have you forgotten about contacting me for a whole month straight?"
Harvey said, somewhat speechless, upon hearing this.
Although he intentionally left an impression on Tony Stark to facilitate luring Tony Stark into Shadow later.
However, he hadn't expected Tony Stark to be like someone possessed, contacting him incessantly.
So, to prevent Tony Stark from bothering him, Harvey finally answered to see what Tony Stark was up to.
"..."
Tony Stark heard this scolding and wanted to retort, but after thinking about it, he realized he had indeed been the one contacting him, and for a moment, he was speechless.
"My actions are entirely based on my mood; you don't need to dwell on it too much."
"Let's talk about your technology."
Harvey saw Tony Stark wanting to debate with him for a few sentences but unable to say anything, so he proactively let Tony Stark off the hook and brought up the Iron Man Armor.
"The latest I'm developing now are Mark IV and Mark V."
"One focuses on combat, and the other is a portable type emphasizing lightness."
"These are the crystallization of my wisdom; at full speed at high altitudes, they can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2."
"The material used for construction is aerospace satellite material, which is hard and cold-resistant, impervious to firearms and bullets, and also features attacks like palm repulsor blasts."
Tony Stark also became interested upon hearing this and immediately went to the two Iron Man Armors, introducing them proudly.
"In just over a month, you've improved the Iron Man Armor to such performance; that sounds good."
"Your Iron Man Armor should become even more formidable in the future."
"However, this also means that no matter how you improve it, the greatest weakness of your Iron Man Armor lies in yourself, doesn't it?"
"Don't say I didn't warn you: in a battle with an enemy, if you have a weakness that you can't solve but is easily discovered, you could very easily lose your life."
Harvey said, lightly tapping the Iron Man Armor with his right hand, producing a clanging sound.
"I've also considered this weakness, but I currently have no way to change it."
"Because no matter how good my brain is, I am still a human being; I will grow old, get injured, and die."
Tony Stark also did not deny Harvey Anberaka's words, admitting this flaw.
Driving the Iron Man Armor and flying a fighter jet, aside from his technology being stronger, there wasn't much difference in combat.
Once the Iron Man Armor or fighter jet being piloted sustained damage, he would be exposed to the dangers of combat.
There was always a possibility of death, which is why his initial idea was to collaborate with Colonel Rhodes.
He possessed an extremely intelligent mind, while Rhodes had extensive combat experience; their cooperation would better unleash the power of the Iron Man Armor.
It was just that Rhodes had previously shown him a cold shoulder, unwilling to understand, so he became the pilot himself.
Those words just now were naturally spoken by Harvey to remind Tony Stark of his fragile body.
"'Only now'? So, that means you have a method?"
Now, Harvey heard these words, glanced at Tony Stark, and said.
"I want to strengthen my body to improve the Iron Man Armor's greatest weakness, which means developing genetics."
"However, the experimental process of developing a gene serum without any side effects and suitable for the human body would undoubtedly violate human ethics."
"That's why I have never ventured into the field of genetics."
Tony Stark also expressed some of his thoughts upon hearing this.
"Tony Stark, what do you think truly defines a human being?"
Harvey's eyes flickered as he heard Tony's words, and he asked.
Perhaps some people, when they possess power different from others, try to suppress themselves to blend in with humanity, hoping not to be seen as an anomaly but to be called human.
But to put it bluntly, even among humans without superpowers, there are differences between people, such as wealth and power.
Countless individuals, relying on their slight power, seek to gain every advantage and accumulate vast wealth.
Human nature is selfish and greedy; as soon as a person has an opportunity, they will naturally want to gain more and control more.
And when one has this opportunity, failing to seize and utilize it, and instead self-deceptively and deliberately suppressing oneself to cater to the weak, hoping to be treated as an ordinary person...
This kind of thinking, from Harvey's perspective, is nothing but foolish and mediocre.
Although he had possessed the power of Shadow for nearly three years, he hadn't truly thought about it, but finally, at Nick Fury's prompting...
After some contemplation, when he realized his power came from Shadow, he accepted his current self.
"Desired things? Are you referring to male or female?"
Tony Stark asked, wanting to understand which kind of desire Harvey's question referred to.
"My question has no distinction between male and female, but rather the fundamental things that humans desire."
Harvey turned around upon hearing this, looked directly into Tony Stark's eyes, and said with a smile.
"The essence of humanity cannot be categorized into one thing, because different people have vastly different desires and needs."
Tony Stark pondered this for a moment upon hearing it, then said.
"Some humans are arrogant, some are insecure, some are kind, some are selfish, but those are just different personalities, not the essence of humanity."
"The essence of humanity is the desire for survival, and for survival, humans will desire power, and relying on that power, they will obtain more of what they want."
"Profound knowledge, formidable martial prowess, high-ranking status, and even countless different talents—anything that sets one apart from others is power."
"Since ancient times, history across the World has often been dominated by males, but there have also been instances of females ascending to the highest positions."
"This means that females also desire power; it's just that the difficulty for females to obtain power is higher, which is why it has been less common throughout history."
"However, as soon as a person possesses an identity even slightly superior or more excellent than others, people will consciously and unconsciously differentiate themselves."
"They disdain associating with those far inferior to themselves, and may even be ashamed to interact with them."
"Such examples are abundant throughout history, and even you and I are no exception."
"Now, do you still think the essence of humanity needs to be specifically divided by male and female?"
Harvey said slowly, looking at the Iron Man Armor as he spoke.
"..."
Tony Stark wanted to retort, but after thinking carefully, he couldn't find any point to refute.
Indeed, people have different personalities, but fundamentally, it is for survival, and after survival, they will desire more things.
Such as excellent living conditions, a superior status, and various other things.
"Are you telling me to violate human morality?"
However, considering that Harvey Anberaka was discussing these things with him, Tony Stark thought for a moment, realized something, and said with emotion.
"I never said that; I was merely reminding you of the essence of humanity."
"As for what you truly think, I don't know."
"Although the essence of humanity is survival and the acquisition of more power..."
"However, when you want to acquire more power, ask yourself if you are truly prepared."
"If you haven't prepared yourself mentally, choosing to be conservative and not act is not a bad thing either."
Harvey's words were like an enchanting whisper, subtly shaking some of Tony Stark's ingrained beliefs.
Perhaps there wouldn't be immediate results now, but when Tony Stark craved more power and sought to overcome his current greatest weakness...
Then this wavering would influence some of the decisions and actions Tony Stark made.
"I already had dinner with you earlier, so I won't have a late-night snack here."
"While I cleared your palladium poisoning as an easy favor, it doesn't mean I will clear it for you every time you get palladium poisoning again in the future."
"So don't count on luck; make good use of the extended time you have now and strive to find a new element to replace palladium to fundamentally solve the problem of palladium poisoning."
Harvey looked at Tony Stark, who was deep in thought, said a few words, then turned and left.
Only Tony Stark remained alone in the Underground Research Lab, his eyes constantly flickering, his mind continuously turning.